Liaoxi (1)

92. Liaoxi (1)

Preparing a splendid new sword had truly been the right move. The moment we descended to the village, countless people were startled by the women's beauty. Jeong-hyang especially stirred everyone's hearts with her peerless loveliness, but she also wore a conspicuously magnificent sword at her waist, and behind her, I, with my large frame, sported five swords and glared so fiercely that even the crowds harboring unsavory intentions knew we were martial artists and couldn't get too close.

"Elder. Do you remember me? I'm Chae Yeong-ok of the Yeongsan Sect."

Master spotted a short old woman among the crowd keeping its distance and greeted her warmly.

"Yeo... Yeongsan Sect? Could you be the young lady from back then?"

The old woman spoke in astonishment.

"Elder, it's been a long time."

When Son Yeong, who usually appeared most often at outside events, greeted her as well, the old woman looked truly stunned.

"Yeong! You ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were safe! I heard terrifying warriors had raided the Yeongsan Sect, destroyed it, and that the White Tiger Sect had moved into its place. Thank goodness... truly, thank goodness..."

The old woman spoke with tears gathering in her eyes. Since the Heavenly Wolf Sect's attack, the Yeongsan Sect hadn't appeared in the village. Even Son Yeong, who handled the shopping, had been too busy training and left the errands to the White Tiger Sect, so the woman's concern hadn't been unfounded. Daeseon Construction Company had also begun work on the Yeongsan Sect's former site, with White Tiger Sect members stationed squarely in front of it, so everyone seemed to have reached the same conclusion.

"Yeongmok. Say hello. This is Elder Jang. She's a kind elder who never forgot us and helped even when Yeongsan ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sect was at its hardest."

Master introduced the old woman to me with a delighted expression.

"I'm Yeongmok."

So this was the kind elder who'd sometimes housed Son Yeong when I first came to Yeongsan. Back then, I had briefly worried that Elder Jang might harbor impure intentions toward the innocent Son Yeong, who knew nothing of men, but Elder Jang was a wrinkled, stooped old woman. Even though my large build and five swords must have made me look threatening, she paid no attention and clasped my hand tightly.

"I'm seeing you for the first time. But to have such a sturdy disciple join you, it's a relief. Truly a relief!"

Seeing the old woman repeatedly cry out in relief, nearly in tears, I could clearly feel how sincerely she'd worried about the Yeongsan Sect.

"Eh? That person? That Daoist was also Yeongsan Sect? Isn't that Daoist the one the White Tiger Sect followers call hyung?"

Naturally, someone shouted out at seeing me, who'd recently shown up in the village the most often.

It was sad. My first fame in the martial world ended up not as a hero who slew a great master of the Unorthodox Faction, but as the bandits' hyung.

"Elder. Though our Yeongsan Sect fell into hardship, after taking this Yeongmok here as a disciple, we've now splendidly overcome it. We're currently heading to Henan at the Martial Alliance's very invitation. So please don't worry too much anymore, and set your heart at ease. Once we return, we'll show our faces often.

"And since White Tiger Sect is an extremely good neighbor of ours, if any trouble arises, go see Sect Leader Byeokgeum of the White Tiger Sect anytime and tell him that Chae Yeong-ok asked for help. He'll set everything aside and assist you."

"The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Martial Alliance? The Martial Alliance in Henan? Now that you mention it, you lot—the clothes you're wearing, those swords, even your ornaments are all extraordinary! I've heard that martial artists can become unbelievably stronger in the blink of an eye, but at last, fortune has come to Yeongsan Sect too! Taishang Laojun has finally bestowed blessings upon you, without a doubt!"

Master gently took the old woman's hand, then resumed the journey. The moment Master took a step, the crowd parted again, opening a wide path.

—Did you see? She is a benefactor of our sect.—

—Yes. Don't worry, hyung. Take good care of the Sect Leader on your journey.—

I sent a Voice Transmission to Byeok-geum, who was seeing us off in secret from afar, and at last, Yeongsan Sect began to leave this Yeongsan on its own two feet.

"Master! It's a butterfly!"

Cho-ryeong had been slightly startled by the crowd that gathered in the village, but once we left town and human traces vanished, she spoke joyfully, marveling at all the world's things.

"Junior Sister. There are butterflies at Yeongsan Sect too."

"No, Senior Sister Son. This one is a little different. Look—the tips of its wings are blue."

"Enjoying it's fine, but no whining about your legs hurting after running around like that every time."

"Ehh. Senior Sister, honestly. I'm a real martial artist now, I tell you."

Cho-ryeong was right. She might have had a child's body, but with more than twenty years of internal energy and such a sturdy physique, it would have been far more surprising if she complained that her legs hurt. Besides, if she ever did, Geo Am was always watching over her, ready to become her Sky Board and carry her. Two men had been secretly following us from afar, entranced by the women's beauty, but when I infused Blazing Fire Qi into my sword and cut down a large nearby tree, they froze and fled. The Flame Blossom Art was truly versatile. It was excellent for shooing away pests too.

It was an utterly leisurely journey. Unlike other sects that planned to arrive months early to socialize, staying there for long would only create uncomfortable situations for us, so we just needed to avoid being late for the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. Honestly, it wouldn't have mattered if we arrived after the gathering ended, but Son Yeong's eyes shone so brightly that I wanted us there before it began.

Son Yeong was twenty-one. This tournament was beyond her, but she was young enough to aim for the next one five years later. Showing her future rivals to someone who'd appear like a comet and shock the martial world wasn't a bad idea. Even aside from Cho-ryeong, everything in the world fascinated the women. They walked leisurely while looking everywhere, yet the powerful bodies granted by their vast internal energy carried us to a small tavern midway to the next village well before sunset.

"Alright, let's just eat here and depart quickly."

I thought Master would joyfully secure rooms and rest after briefly looking at the tavern, but she said she'd continue the journey with uncharacteristic diligence.

"What? Master. The next village is quite far. They say the distance is comparable to the distance from Yeongsan to here?"

"No problem. We're martial artists, and even on a dark night, Yeongmok can provide light."

"I think the same. Staying at this tavern would mean sleeping mixed in with other people. That's a bit uncomfortable, so I'd rather rest comfortably at an inn in the next village."

Jeong-hyang subtly began to agree with Master's opinion too.

"It's far too early to sleep, and there's nowhere worth visiting nearby. I think heading straight to the village, getting a room at the inn, and then comfortably touring the town would be much more enjoyable."

Son Yeong even held the same view. They'd said nothing of the sort until just earlier, but the moment they saw the shabby tavern, they started talking like this. It was somewhat unexpected. They weren't Murong Rin, yet I hadn't imagined that they, who'd lived like weeds, would reject a shabby tavern. Just then, Lee Eun-ha sent me a Voice Transmission.

—You can't even wash at a tavern. Master and the senior sisters may always smell pleasant, but they still don't want to stink beside you, Junior Brother. Let's hurry to the next village.—

Ah... our Yeongsan Sect had quite the high standard of cleanliness, uncharacteristic of the Central Plains. They, who'd bathed their whole lives, might indeed possess tastes more high-class than Murong Rin in these matters.

"With Junior Sister Cho, don't worry. I'll carry her on my back."

Lee Eun-ha spoke kindly, even though the rice paddle strapped to her back alone must have weighed nearly thirty geun.

"I said I'm perfectly fine, you know?"

Cho-ryeong spoke while cutely patting her chest with one small hand. The problem was that instead of a soft thump, it produced a tremendous boom. Had I really become overprotective? In the end, after a simple supper at the tavern, we resumed our journey. Even without torches, illuminating the surroundings with Flame Qi caused no particular difficulty. Everyone's Qi Sense had already improved, so that much light was enough.

The nighttime journey was also a special and delightful adventure for them. Stories about the moon and stars in the night sky. And recent stories. Stories of the White Tiger Sect. And occasionally, stories about me. They walked joyfully all night, exchanging countless tales, so much that even Cho-ryeong forgot her drowsiness and thoroughly enjoyed the night road, and before we knew it, we'd arrived at the next village.

In front of an inn much larger and more splendid than the inn at Yeongsan Village, Lee Eun-ha extended her hand to me.

"Junior Brother. Let me take charge of the travel funds. You've no intention of scrimping money, anyway. I've been studying arithmetic, so I'll handle the accounting."

"I'd be grateful if you did."

In truth, what she'd learned amounted only to mental arithmetic, but with so much already on my mind, I had no desire to deal with another nuisance. When I handed her a purse containing ten taels of gold, she checked the contents and held out her hand again.

"I've abandoned shame. Junior Brother. Please give me some pocket money. My pocket money, not public funds."

Lee Eun-ha was remarkably thoughtful. No matter how much money I had, the women could hardly enjoy themselves if they had to ask me for every coin they wanted to spend. Learning how to use money was also something Jeong-hyang and Cho-ryeong needed to do. Lee Eun-ha had taken the lead for the other women. I gave her ten taels of silver, then distributed silver to Jeong-hyang, Son Yeong, and Cho-ryeong as well, telling them to buy snacks, ornaments that caught their eyes, or anything else they wanted. I made sure to add that they could always ask for more when it ran out.

"Oh my, I don't particularly need money, but I'll gratefully accept it, Junior Brother."

"Thank you, Junior Brother."

"Hehehe. It's okay to buy and eat sweets with this, right?"

The Senior Sisters accepted with delight. Watching them, Master put on a sulky face.

"You haven't forgotten my share, have you?"

"Master, you already have taels of gold."

"I want pocket money too. If you discriminate against me because I'm the master, I'll spread rumors when we reach Henan."

Sometimes she showed the dignified demeanor of a Sect Leader even before that Murong Hyeok-jung, and sometimes she turned into a child like Cho-ryeong. After I handed even the adorable Master some silver, she became thoroughly pleased and patted my butt. No, getting smacked on the behind is something only Master likes, I'm telling you.

Though it was late, we secured two large rooms, and Lee Eun-ha thoughtfully ordered simple drinking snacks and wine for me. While I sat alone in the dining area sampling the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠region's famous wine, a pleasant-looking man greeted me.

"You seem to truly savor your drink. If it wouldn't be an imposition, might I join you for a drink?"

He had about fifteen years' worth of internal energy and a gentle impression, much like Master. A man around my age, wearing a neat martial uniform and a high-quality-looking sword at his waist, offered his greeting.

"I was feeling bored, so I'm grateful. I'm called Yeongmok of the Yeongsan Sect."

"I'm called Ji-gyu of the Star-Moon Sect."

Even our exchanged cupped-fist salutes were brief; he sat down cheerfully, ordered several additional bottles of alcohol, and poured me a drink.

"Is Daoist Yeongmok also on his way to Henan?"

"Yes. It's practically my first trip into the martial world. Is Great Hero Ji also Henan-bound?"

"Yes. For now, I plan to stop in Liaodong, return to my sect in Shanxi, and then head to Henan. Our sect exists in name only, but as an inadequate master, I still wanted to show my disciple the world, so I set out with my junior sister."

Ji-gyu looked about my age, yet he already had a disciple. A sect that existed in name only... I couldn't laugh when the Yeongsan Sect's past came to mind. At least his martial uniform and sword were both presentable.

"Was that little girl from earlier your disciple, Daoist Yeongmok?"

Little girl? Cho-ryeong?

"No. She is my Senior Sister. I am the youngest disciple of Yeongsan Sect."

At those words, Ji-gyu was visibly startled.

"Heavens! My apologies. She's around the same age as our Ji-yeon, so I rashly assumed she was naturally your disciple."

"Nothing to apologize for. Though she's indeed very cute, she's a Senior Sister who meticulously and affectionately looks after her one and only Junior Brother."

A new meeting in a strange land. From the very first day of travel, it was luck. Ji-gyu was an exceptionally courteous man, clicked with me in conversation somehow, and above all, was a man who knew how to enjoy his drink. Since it was late, I'd intended to lightly enjoy just one or two cups, but we oddly hit it off, and the bottles only piled up one by one; in the end, when I eventually returned to the room late, Master, Jeong-hyang, and Son Yeong, who had secretly slipped out of the women's room and been waiting for me, were glaring at me with burning eyes.

Long ago, when my past life's father had still been healthy, on nights he came home late after drinking, my mother used to wear that same expression. Now, upon learning the reason for it, at the same time, the future that had seemed only brilliant felt a little bleak.